接吻 & 花 Kisses and Flowers
by Lady Starwing
Summary: -sheelloyd- Sheena invites lloyd to a festival in Mizuho two years after ToS ends. When he kisses her, however, a string of events will unfold that will lead to something both precious and wonderful. VERY FLUFFY! MIGHT CAUSE CAVITIES! You've been warned.


_Stupid oneshot wouldn't get out of my head … ARGH!! –kills golem and creates a new GolemCube™-  
__**Sheena:**__ dare I ask who you're going to drop that thing on?  
The plot bunny Kampai!! He keeps bugging the royal shit out of me!!  
__**Sheena:**__ but why a GolemCube™?  
Because I feel like it!! XO  
__**Sheena:**__ Okay … Li owns nothing!!  
-squishes aforementioned plot bunny- THIS TIME STAY DEAD!!_

**-**桜**・**Sakura**-**

* * *

"Lloyd, well you see, I ... I've been watching you the entire journey … AUGH!" Sheena punched the nearby wall with a fist, eyes livid. "This is so FRUSTRATING!! And I'll bet anything that Zelos would be listening in to boot." The ninja grumbled under her breath, falling backwards onto the bed in annoyance. She was trying to figure out a way to tell Lloyd how she felt about him, but without making herself go bright red in the face 。She wasn't having too much luck in that aspect.

"I invite everyone to Mizuho for a festival, and I can't even tell the one person that I invited personally that I love him!!" Sheena bemoaned the situation again, rolling over onto her side and grasping the picture that she had on her bedside; it was one of Lloyd, something she had taken on the sly when nobody else had been looking. Lloyd hadn't even noticed it, he was so caught up in practicing his sword attacks.

Watching Lloyd while he was in motion had turned out to be … captivating, Sheena mused. The first time it had happened had been when she had just joined the group, and he was sparring against Kratos. She had been watching them from above, hidden within a tree, and even though Lloyd hadn't managed to best the older swordsman, he had fought well. That he could keep going for so long without tiring had fascinated her.

Or maybe it was because Lloyd's red jacket was open, revealing the black muscle shirt he wore beneath it. Sheena flushed at that, remembering that, even from a distance, Lloyd was definitely well built. It wasn't to the point where he was obviously training his body, but just enough so that most girls that caught sight of him wearing something tight would stare for a moment or so.

"Kami knows I've done that enough." Sheena muttered to herself over the thought, flushing slightly. "It's just … he's really handsome …" sighing, she buried her face in her pillow. "Gah!!"

"Are you alright, Sheena?" Orochi's voice at her door made Sheena look up. The blue clad shinobi was standing in her doorway, looking rather concerned. Sheena chuckled lightly, a blush on her face as she placed the picture face down on her bed.

"I—I'm fine, Orochi; just venting my frustration with Zelos ahead of time." She chuckled weakly, scratching the back of her neck in embarrassment; yeah, she'd been around Lloyd too long. Not that she cared, of course. Orochi gave a nod to show that he understood, then proceeded to lean against the doorway.

"Lloyd just arrived around five minutes ago; he and Kuchinawa are talking near the main gate." After Kuchinawa had returned, Sheena had forgiven him for what had transpired; she had bigger complications to figure out. Since nobody else in Mizuho knew of his actions, he was welcomed back openly. Sheena's eyes lit up at the first name, and she all but leapt off the bed.

"He's here?" She all but squealed, to which Orochi nodded. This time Sheena did squeal, and after wrapping Orochi in a quick hug, practically dashed out the door. Orochi stood still for a moment, completely poleaxed from Sheena's brief drop out of the violent tomboy role. A door behind him slid open, and Igaguri was looking at him in wonder.

"Was that Sheena that made the noise just now?" He asked, wondering if perhaps something was wrong. Orochi nodded.

"Yes, but it's nothing to worry about; someone she's been wanting to see for a while just arrived." He explained, to which Igaguri nodded in understanding.

"Would it happen to be Lloyd, by any chance?"

"I can't think of anyone else that gets her this excited. Well, happily excited; whenever the Chosen's around, she becomes … dangerously excited, and anyone with any sense would be better elsewhere."

"Save for Lloyd?"

"Hai, save for Lloyd." The two male shinobi shook their heads in amusement, while silently pondering ways to keep Zelos occupied for long enough to give the Lloyd and Sheena some time alone while they were together. "I think that a good sake would keep him busy for a while …" Orochi mused silently, and Igaguri let out a light chuckle of agreement.

* * *

Sheena had slowed once she neared the main gate, and was staring at the figure that leaned against the tall, red archway, hands tucked casually into his pockets while he talked with Kuchinawa. In the two years since their journey together had ended, Lloyd had gone about, destroying all the Exspheres he could find. It was on such a trip a few months previously that Sheena had encountered him and invited him to the festival.

Lloyd had grown. Sheena blushed again as she neared, hiding behind the other side of the gate. Now that he was nearly twenty, Lloyd's physical resemblance to his father had grown, and now some of his unruly brown hair had begun to fall into his face. He still wore his iconic red and black dwarven outfit—minus the suspenders, of course. The blades at his sides were made of strong steel and showed much use, and he was leaning against the gate with his arms crossed over his chest.

'Lloyd …' Sheena resisted the nearly overpowering urge to run over to Lloyd and wrap him in a hug that she knew would leave the young man breathless, but continued to admire him from afar. But she must've moved slightly, because Lloyd looked directly at her and broke out into a smile.

"I see you Sheena; is it my turn to hide now?" Lloyd teased as he straightened and walked over, leaning his arm above them both on the pillar that Sheena had been hiding behind. Sheena flushed and smiled in return, and shook her head.

"Nope; just wondering how long it would take you to notice me." She responded, fighting to get her blushing face under control. Lloyd looked at her with a light laugh.

"The way you were staring, it wouldn't have taken me too long to figure it out." He shook his head, smiling broadly. Reaching out with an arm, he quickly tugged Sheena in closer to him and hugged her fiercely. "Good to see you're doing well, Sheena; I'm sorry it took so long for me to get here though." Sheena blinked at that, but since she had buried her face into the red jacket as soon as possible, Lloyd didn't notice. Kuchinawa, as if sensing he was intruding on something private, coughed politely to announce his departure. Lloyd waved at him as he left, and looked at Sheena just she pulled away slightly.

"What are you talking about?" She asked, confused. "The festival doesn't start until the day after tomorrow." Lloyd actually blushed, and chuckled weakly.

"It doesn't? … Well, I guess it worked out anyway." He muttered, face only a shade of red lighter than his bright wine red eyes. Sheena stared at him.

"What worked out?" she asked, raising an eyebrow in confusion. Lloyd coughed into the arm that wasn't wrapped around Sheena, brown hair barley hiding his red cheeks.

"Well, you see … I kinda wanted to get here before everyone else because …" Lloyd looked back at Sheena, face now a reddish pink color as opposed to a deep crimson. "I wanted to see you before everyone else got here, in private." From where she was nestled into his chest, Sheena could feel Lloyd's heart racing faster than it ever had. But what could make such a brave swordsman so nervous?

"R—really; you wanted to see me that badly?" Sheena forced out after a moment, knowing that her face was most likely a shade of red as vibrant as Lloyd's shirt. When he nodded, she asked, "what about?" Then Lloyd did something that Sheena had never thought she would _ever_ see him do.

Lloyd actually _kissed_ her.

Not on the cheek, but full out on the mouth. His mouth was warm and soft, but Sheena was still marveling over the action itself, and her mind didn't fully register that she wanted to kiss him back. By the time she had, however, Lloyd was pulling away, looking embarrassed and ashamed with himself. "S … sorry, I didn't mean to be … that forward …" his face was slowly going red again, and he wasn't making eye contact with Sheena any more.

Then, to Sheena's great confusion, he let go of her and began to walk away. "I … have to use the bathroom!!' Lloyd said over his shoulder, still embarrassed. "I'll talk with you later!!" He then broke into a light run, leaving behind a highly confused Sheena.

* * *

'So stupid!! How could I be that stupid!?' Lloyd hollered in his mind, banging his head lightly against the cherry tree he was standing under. He had lied about needing to use the bathroom, but it was the only way he knew of that he could get away without Sheena following after him. In all reality, Lloyd had needed to get away in order to punish himself; he didn't know if Sheena had any feelings for him stronger than friendship, and he up and kissed her!

"I bet I blew it big time now …" Lloyd sighed, leaning against the abused tree. "I just want to ask her, and I lose control of what happens at the LEAST convenient time!!" Banging his head against the tree one last time in frustration, he turned around and leaned his back against it. Sliding down the trunk until he was in a sitting position, Lloyd stared upward into the vast pink umbrella of the cherry blossoms above him.

Falling in love with Sheena had been a welcome surprise to Lloyd; telling her how he felt was what was getting under his skin. While he bet she knew that he felt strongly for her now, he had probably scared her off. "I definitely screwed up …"Lloyd closed his eyes and called himself seven kinds of idiot, savoring the faint breeze that buffeted his face and the tree around him. "And she looks even prettier than she did two years ago …" he mused, remembering how much Sheena's new outfit suited her. It was still lavender colored, but it wasn't as revealing as before, and it reached her knees before stopping.

"I wonder … what if she's in love with someone else?" Lloyd asked himself, and immediately felt guilty; if Sheena was happy with someone else, he would have to be content with her happiness. Even if it meant suffering in silence for the rest of his prolonged life, he wouldn't want to ruin her happiness for anything.

"_Love isn't simply about sexual attraction, Lloyd."_ Remembering the conversation that he had had with Kratos the last time he had been at the Renegade base—his father had returned from Derris-Kharlan after all the Exspheres and Cruxis Crystals were destroyed—Lloyd began to wonder if it was such a wise idea to discuss his plan with his father. Although he knew Kratos was just trying to keep Lloyd from making a mistake, he had been awfully frank about it all. _"Love and lust are easily confused, and although it might not occur to you that what you're feeling might simply be lust, that might be it. Think for a while; just why do you feel so strongly about Sheena?"_ Lloyd hadn't had time to think about it then, but now, he figured he had quite a while before Sheena came looking for him.

'What is it about her that makes me like her more than Colette?' he asked himself, pondering. She was obviously beautiful, but that wasn't the main reason. Lloyd quickly found that there were several reasons for his strong feelings, the most compelling of which was that she wasn't afraid to speak her mind; if she thought someone was being stupid, she'd let them know. And even if it was obvious that the person who had offended her would never get the message—Zelos—Sheena would still attempt to beat some sense into their head.

'And she's really good at cooking … not as good as Genis or Regal, but still …' as if agreeing with him, Lloyd's stomach rumbled faintly; he ignored it for once in his life. 'Then there's her smile, and those eyes … I almost lost myself in them when we were talking …' Lloyd allowed himself to blush at that, and his hand subconsciously came up to support his chin as he shifted position. He doubted that he could finish the mental list that made him like Sheena so much, but Lloyd knew that unless he managed to apologize sincerely for what he had done earlier, he doubted he would be able to do much else.

Remembering the kiss, Lloyd's fingers rested lightly on his mouth. It had felt so good, and he had nearly forgotten that he hadn't told Sheena how he felt about her. It was only when he felt her stiffen oh so briefly that his mind had caught up with his instincts. Although he knew it was wrong, though, Lloyd knew that he wouldn't mind kissing Sheena again.

Hell, pinning her to the wall and kissing her senseless sounded appealing, and that wasn't Lloyd's usual way of handling such things; that was Zelos' way, and Lloyd didn't want Sheena to think he was turning into a pervert. "I guess all I can do is apologize …" Lloyd sighed to himself, and stood up slowly, as to prevent a head rush. Tucking his hands into his pockets once more, Lloyd looked up at the tree just as a solitary blossom broke loose and drifted down to land on his face.

"Gah! … ? Hey …" Lloyd's mind had shifted into high gear once his eyes had locked onto the blossom, and a plan began to formulate in his mind as his eyes traced over the five, pale pink petals. "…Heh, that just might work …" looking back up the tree, Lloyd looked for the lowest branch, and began to climb up the tree.

* * *

It was nearly suppertime by the time that Lloyd had clambered down from the tree, a branch of blossoms in his hand. Among many things, Dirk had taught him how to keep a cut plant from wilting within a week, and to tend to the remaining plant so that it continued to grow. Tucking the branch into his bag—gently, so as not to crush the blossoms, which he had examined himself to find the ones that were just right—Lloyd headed back into the village.

The first person he came across? A certain red haired, pink clad pervert who was fleeing for a nearby river, a hand on a bruised cheek; Zelos didn't even notice Lloyd as he raced away. "What hit him this time?" Lloyd asked nobody in particular, only for another familiar voice to reach his ear.

"Regal wasn't too happy to see Zelos flirting with Raine, again." Sheena explained as she walked up, looking after Zelos in annoyance. "He threw the book he was reading at him." Lloyd raised an eyebrow.

"Hardcover?" He asked, looking at Sheena in curiosity.

"No; paperback. Zelos' jaw would've been broken if it was hardcover." Sheena huffed in annoyance. "It's about time someone did something about him anyway." Lloyd held his head in a hand as he shook it.

"Maybe we should've left him behind in the sewers … it would've saved us a lot of hassle." To his shock, Sheena actually laughed at that. She was looking at Lloyd in amusement, and a glint of impish amusement danced in her eyes.

"You're getting more and more like Kratos every time I see you." She commented, making Lloyd blush in embarrassment and look away. Deciding that now would be as good a chance as any to get Lloyd to act normal again, she continued, "Except for when you blush, that is."

"When did K-Dad ever blush?" Lloyd asked, startled.

"He didn't; that's my entire point." Sheena stuck out her tongue at Lloyd as he blushed again and scowled lightly. "And I don't think he would've been so upset when he did; unless someone had embarrassed him publicly, of course."

"I think this sort of thing runs in the family." Lloyd admitted after a moment, laughing weakly and scratching the back of his neck again. After a moment, however, he grew somber again, and drew a deep breath. "Sheena?"

"Yeah? What is it?" Sheena asked, noticing the sudden change in Lloyd's behavior.

"I … well, about what happened earlier …" Lloyd was blushing again, but he seemed determined to keep eye contact. "I just wanted to say that I'm sorry."

"Sorry about what?" Sheena tilted her head to one side in confusion. Lloyd looked at her, clearly baffled.

"I … when I kissed you!!" He stammered, making sure nobody else was around to eavesdrop when he said it.

"Why are you apologizing for that?" Sheena asked, fear worming into her gut; did Lloyd mean absolutely nothing by it?

"Because …because …" Lloyd stammered, face redder than ever. Sheena began to feel even more depressed, but what lloyd said next caught her off guard, "because I didn't ask to see if you wanted me to, that's why!!"

"… What?" Sheena asked, clearly stunned. "Why would you want to ask about doing something like that?" Lloyd's face was redder than his shirt, and he finally broke eye contact and gazed intently at the ground beneath him.

"I—I didn't know if you wanted to be kissed, first off. For all I know, you … you like someone else." He said weakly, not even bothering to look up. Sheena seemed to be waiting for him to continue, so he finished, "plus … that really wasn't like me at all. I usually like to make sure that I'm doing something right before I do it."

"Then why did you do all this?" Sheena finally asked gently, gesturing around them both. "Why did you bother going ahead and saving the worlds, which was something you didn't know if it was right to do or not?" When Lloyd only looked at her in apology, she sighed heavily. "Look, I wasn't upset over you … kissing me; why should I be?"

"Because you weren't expecting it?" Lloyd offered, finally looking back up at her. Sheena rolled her eyes in mild annoyance, and stepped closer. Lloyd—thinking she was angry—backed up until he was pinned between her and the house where she stayed with her grandfather. Seeing her chance, Sheena wrapped both arms around Lloyd's neck. Standing on tiptoe—he'd grown vertically as well, much to her annoyance—she stopped, her mouth a hair's breadth away from Lloyd's.

"This is why I shouldn't be upset over your kiss." She whispered, and before Lloyd could respond, she was kissing him, mouth completely sealing his off. Lloyd's mind, which had formerly been going in who knew how many directions, completely focused on this new feeling sensation and taste; Sheena must've eaten something with sugar in it, for he could taste the sweetness on her lips.

'Oh … that's why.' He thought dumbly, before smirking mentally in victory. Now that he knew that the feeling was mutual, Lloyd allowed himself to kiss Sheena back, wrapping both arms around her and virtually pinning her against him. Forgetting that they were in the middle of a public street, and clearly visible to any passerby, Lloyd's hands began to roam.

Sheena, who had just begun to fully relax into Lloyd's hold, squeaked rather loudly as something groped her rear. Lloyd's face suddenly heated up, and he finally regained control of the offending hand. "S … sorry." He stammered, unable to look Sheena in the face out of fear that he would find her enraged. Instead, he felt a slender hand slip away from his neck. Knowing what was to come, Lloyd braced himself for the punishing smack and the exclamation of 'pervert' to hit his ears.

Instead, Sheena allowed a foxy smirk to cross her face, and she returned the grope. Lloyd's face went even brighter red, and he bit his lip to keep from yelping his shock. Looking at Sheena in surprise, he saw her giggling and slightly red in the face. "What? I had to get you back for that somehow." Sheena giggled, eyes even more mischievous than they were before. Lloyd rolled his eyes and sighed, face regaining its normal color.

Once he was certain that Sheena was calm again, Lloyd lightly cupped her face with a hand. "Sheena …"

"Hm?" Sheena looked back up at him, and nearly fainted in joy from what she saw; Lloyd's eyes were looking at her with such intense emotion that they lit up, and his entire expression was simply alluring.

"I think it's time I did this the right way …" He whispered, leaning in closer. Sheena felt her heartbeat skyrocket, and it skipped every other beat when Lloyd's other arm once again snaked around her waist. Lloyd's eyes were practically glowing at that point, and as he leaned in, his voice was barley over a whisper. And when he leaned in closer, stopping less than a breath away, he whispered longingly, voice clear and strong, his former stammer gone.

"I love you."

Sheena felt herself melt in relief, and she knew her face was as red as the setting sun behind the mountains. "Lloyd …" She whispered, only to find herself silenced by a new kiss, one that made her mind cease all activity. It was only her common sense that told her to kiss back, and to cling to Lloyd when she felt her knees give out. Apart from that, there was only a blissful, consuming haze in her mind.

When Lloyd pulled away, even briefly, Sheena whimpered in longing; almost as if asking him to return and consume her once more. He chuckled and pressed back, stealing away whatever breath was left in her lungs, even though he wasn't crushing her mouth against him; it was merely tender and … Sheena found herself unable to find the right word to describe it. It just … felt utterly _perfect_.

After a while though, her body began to wake up again, and her lungs began to scream for air. If she had had the air, Sheena would've sighed as she pulled away from Lloyd, panting to refill her empty lungs. She was blushing faintly, the rose color just mantling her cheeks. "That was … wow …" She gasped after a moment, looking up at Lloyd.

The chuckle that left Lloyd's mouth was very gentle, and very male. "Just wow?" he teased, every bit as breathless as Sheena. When she began to stutter and find a good answer, he smiled and responded, "No, wow's alright; I couldn't think of a better word myself." He admitted, and gave Sheena a look that made her shiver, knees threatening to give again under such intensity.

About to press back into Lloyd for another kiss, Sheena heard an all too familiar voice cry out, "Lloyd!!" She groaned instead, and buried her face into Lloyd's shirt; why did Colette have to come now of all times?! Lloyd sighed softly, and slowly detached himself from Sheena, savoring all the contact that was made as he did so.

"Sorry, but I think it would be worse to ignore her and have her walk into us … when we're like that." Lloyd flushed faintly, remembering how enjoyable the thoughtless sensation had been. Sheena nodded in reply, and as he turned to leave, Lloyd could almost see her standing there, a hand covering slightly swollen lips.

'I had no idea he could kiss that well …' Sheena thought to herself, letting her tingling mouth recover from the new experience. 'He was always so dense, so how did he learn _that_? I doubt it was from Zelos …' Almost as if on cue, Zelos waltzed into view and draped his arms around Sheena's shoulders, hands lower than was proper.

"Hi Sheena hunny!! Were you waiting for me the whole time?" Zelos purred into Sheena's ear, misinterpreting the stiffening of her posture. The next thing he knew, her foot was crushing his instep. Whimpering as he let go, the Chosen's cheek—the same one that had been brutally punished by a book earlier—was whapped by a flat, bony hand.

"ERRO-BAKA!!" Sheena hollered at him, face beet red in embarrassment and fury. She had just experienced the most perfect moment in her life, and now this pervert had done that…!! He was so demeaning to women that it was annoying!! With a huff and one more smack—which instantly left a hand shaped black and purple bruise—she turned and stalked back into the house.

* * *

The next day was mainly preparation and planning for the festival, so Sheena and Lloyd didn't get a chance to be together for longer than a second without having something to do. Fortunately, that also meant that Zelos was kept busy as well, and he couldn't flirt with Sheena like he usually did.

The few times he did, however, he would be stopped by a glare that made him feel like he was about to die. Only Regal—who was helping Lloyd carry the awning over to the lakeside—noticed who was sending Zelos the glare. He didn't comment on it, but instead chuckled and shook his head; what a fool Zelos was sometimes.

That night, however, Sheena had nearly crawled into bed when a faint, light knock came on her door. "Yes?" She asked, standing as she pulled her kosode shut against her body. Tying it as she walked over to the door, Sheena found herself face to face with Lloyd, who looked every bit as embarrassed as she did; he held his pack in his hands.

"Hey … do you mind if I stay in here tonight? Zelos is being even more annoying than usual." He explained, looking towards the room where the other males in the group were staying. Sheena flushed, but nodded an affirmative; why did he have to do ask her with such a casual tone? She would've been tripping over her words, and sounding every bit as awkward as she felt.

Lloyd smiled at her as he walked in, closing the door behind him. "Thanks; I didn't want to be in there if Genis started shooting off spells at him, since I was in between the two of them." He explained, settling onto the ground beside Sheena's bed. "Regal most likely would've broken something upside Zelos' head, but I didn't want to be in there when it got THAT extreme either."

"No kidding; I don't want to see Regal _that_ angry." Sheena agreed, sitting down in front of him. "I mean, I thought Hell would freeze over when Kratos lost his temper at the human ranch, and it's easier to get him angry than it is to get Regal angry." Lloyd laughed at that and shook his head.

"True, but apparently a really dangerous temper is second nature to Dad. He also said that his older sister _COULD_ make Hell freeze over if you got her really angry." He responded, a hand digging around in his pack. Sheena stared, wondering what on earth Lloyd could be looking for when he looked at her with a wry smile. "Eyes closed and hands out, please." He asked politely, and Sheena did so.

"It better not be slimy." She responded, earning a good, hearty laugh in response.

"You sound like you're talking to a little brother." Lloyd commented, before he let out a satisfied noise. "Good, nothing's wrecked." Sheena next heard him straighten and place something into her hands. "Okay, go ahead and open them …" Lloyd whispered in her ear, and Sheena realized that he had to be leaning down. Blushing over his nearness and warmth, Sheena allowed her eyes to open; when they did, she gasped.

Lloyd has settled a branch of coral pink sakura into her hands, wrapped up in a periwinkle blue bow. "Wow …" she breathed, and found her eyes looking up and down the branch, her fingers ghosting over one of the beautiful blossoms. "I didn't know there was a cherry tree around here." She admitted after a moment, and looked back up into Lloyd's face. He laughed weakly and smiled at her.

"I'll show you where it is tomorrow, during the festival, alright?" he asked, seating himself next to Sheena on the bed. Sheena looked at him and smiled, placing the branch beside a small box; she kept the rings from her pacts in that. With a sigh, she laid down, eyes watching lloyd as he blushed and seemed to ponder if he should get off the bed or not.

'He looks handsome when he's confused.' Sheena giggled at Lloyd's confusion, and ended up grabbing his arm and tugging. The action resulted in having Lloyd sprawled out half on top of her, with his face buried in her hair. "…Oops?" Sheena offered weakly, every bit as embarrassed as she should've been. Lloyd chuckled instead, and placed a kiss to the spot where Sheena's neck and jaw line met. With a faint squeak and a bright blush, Sheena melted into his action, completely limp.

"I didn't know that you were sensitive there." Lloyd commented, almost as if to himself. "I'll have to remember that." When Sheena could only glare at him, he laughed and kissed her mouth gently. "Tired, beautiful?" he asked when he pulled away, propping his head up on a hand while he laid on his side. Sheena looked at him and nodded breathlessly before letting out a loud yawn. Lloyd chuckled again—the very male chuckle that just made Sheena want to shiver in delight—and wrapped an arm about her and pulled her close. "Then go to sleep, dearie." He whispered, placing one last butterfly kiss to her forehead.

Sheena blushed in spite of herself and her weariness; Lloyd had always called her by her name, never something like "dearie". Maybe he thought it sounded like something Zelos would say, and he had enough common sense to avoid taking that route. But before Sheena could comment, she felt herself slipping off, only enough will remaining to bury her face into the bare skin of Lloyd's chest; he never wore a shirt to bed, she had found out.

Lloyd waited until Sheena was fast asleep before smiling in victory to himself; it was more than simple physical attraction, what he was feeling. And although he could bet that was what drew Zelos to Sheena, Lloyd knew that what he loved most about the woman he was holding was her independent spirit, and her bullheadedness when she stood by her opinion.

'Tomorrow, my love,' Lloyd thought as he closed his own eyes, 'I hope you can wait until tomorrow …'

* * *

The day of the festival was bright and sunny, with only a few clouds scattered here and there, and those were white. The entire village of Mizuho was a riot of colors and festivities, many of which would've enthralled even the snootiest of the upper class nobles that lived in Meltokio. Sheena savored the warmth and the light as she strolled around, looking for Lloyd. He'd been drug off by a thrilled Genis and an even more excited Colette shortly after breakfast.

Then again, she had been dodging Zelos like the plague ever since she had left, so maybe that was hindering her chances of running across Lloyd. Shaking her head, Sheena began to walk towards a food stand when she saw the bright red of Lloyd's shirt in the corner of her vision. Smiling, she turned around and made her way towards him, and giggled when she saw his back was turned. He was looking at a sword display, talking animatedly with the smith who made them.

Unable to help herself, Sheena snuck up behind Lloyd and jumped onto his back. "About time I found you." She whispered in his ear, to which Lloyd glanced at her, a smile tugging at his mouth as he paid for the kodachi he had been haggling over. Once the smith had wrapped the weapon and handed it over, Lloyd turned and walked away, Sheena still clinging to his back.

"You can let go of me now, Sheena." He teased playfully after a moment, and Sheena pouted. Dropping off of Lloyd's back, she stepped forward and stood at his side, drawing attention to her outfit. Lloyd whistled. "A kimono?" he asked, stopping and holding Sheena at arm's length to get a better look at it; the silk was the same shade of pink as the sakura, and it had the self-same flowers stitched onto the skirt in pale lavender thread. "You look lovely." He smiled at her, pulling up one of her hands and kissing it tenderly.

Sheena blushed, noticing how ticklish the sensation of Lloyd's mouth ghosting over her hand was. "You said you'd show me the cherry tree today, right?" she asked, earning a bright smile from Lloyd and a tug on her hand.

"It's over this way, near the river." He whispered, pulling her along and eventually managing to slip his arm into hers. Sheena giggled and leaned into him, savoring his closeness intensely. This might be the only chance she got to do such a thing for a long time, so she was going to seize it as soon as she could.

Watching them from afar was Zelos, and the Chosen was rightfully put out. He'd been trying for years to get Sheena to be that open around him, and he'd known her since she was ten!! About to tail after them, he felt a hand grasp the back of his shirt and rein him up short. "Let them be, Zelos." Regal scolded, not looking away from the menu that the food stand had given him.

"But—but they might get themselves into danger!!" Zelos pleaded, desperate to follow along and see what was going to happen with the two—he prayed that it wasn't anything too serious. Regal didn't blink at that.

"Lloyd has his swords with him; they'll be fine. Stop grousing over it and choose what you want for lunch."

* * *

Lloyd had lead Sheena to the tree at that point, and they were both standing in its shade. Sheena smiled up at the leaning branches, and she began to reach up towards the nearest one with a hand. "They're just about to fall too; I've always thought they were so beautiful at this time of year." She looked at Lloyd with a smile, and she caught the blossom that had fallen as she spoke. Bringing it up to her face, she sighed softly, "But it's so hard to find a perfect one. You can stare at the same tree for weeks on end, and still never see one."

"Why would you want a perfect one?" Lloyd asked, walking over to stand by her. "If it's perfect, you can't find anything that would help it bring everyone's attention." Pulling the blossom out of Sheena's hand, Lloyd wove the thin stem into the ribbon that held up her hair. "People are the same way, if you think about it. If someone's perfect, then they're pretty much doomed to being alone their entire lives." Lloyd stopped briefly, and looked at Sheena with a expression that stole her breath away. "But then again, you always think that the person you're in love with is the most perfect thing …"

"Lloyd?" Sheena asked, breathless and worried; did she do something wrong? Lloyd looked at her with a sweet, almost endless smile.

"Yes?" He asked, and once again, he seemed more of an adult than his usual self. Sheena found that she couldn't respond right away, having heard the intense emotion that Lloyd had concealed within his voice. Taking a deep breath, she looked at him with wide eyes.

"Are you okay? I can't make head or tails over what you're saying …" To her surprise, Lloyd actually laughed.

"I really have to learn to stop beating around the bush, don't I?" he asked, to which Sheena couldn't respond vocally. When she had nodded, Lloyd drew a deep breath and released it, "Very well then. I hope I don't mess this up." Without warning, Lloyd was on one knee, Sheena's hand in his. He was blushing as he spoke again, "Will you … marry me, Sheena?" He stammered out, and continued hastily as Sheena gasped, "I—I don't have a ring, but that's because I wanted to be sure that you'd accept before a-and I kind of wanted to make it myself and so …"

"You're rambling, Lloyd." Sheena stated, face her natural color, a smile on her face. She was trembling from head to toe, but the thing she had just been asked was a long kept dream coming true, and it left her speechless. "Stand up, please?" She asked, feeling the tears gathering in her eyes. Lloyd must've been worried that he upset her, for he stood and looked at her in worry.

Without warning, Sheena launched herself at Lloyd and buried her face into his chest. "YES!! Oh, Lloyd … I've wanted to hear that for so long … thank you …" She was crying now, and Lloyd was clearly surprised by her very strong reaction. It quickly faded though, and soon he was embracing her, a triumphant smile on his face.

When Sheena finally stopped crying, she looked up at Lloyd with a very wet smile, which made him laugh lightly. "You're welcome." He whispered, and pulled into another soul searing kiss, one that had them both clinging to one another in hopes of staying upright.

And as they stood there, lost in their own world and in one another, a perfect, pale pink sakura fell from the tree onto the lake, the few ripples it caused unsettling the sun's reflection. A second followed it shortly after, and the two drifted downstream, side by side.

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WOO HOO!! Nearly 6,600 words on seven pages!! SIZE EIGHT FONT TO BOOT!! –dances around- my wrists might be as sore as hell, but it was SO WORTH IT!! D I had to get this out of my head, but if you people want, I can extend it. XD That all relies on your reviews, but for now it shall remain a long oneshot.

_Did anyone catch the symbolism of the last two lines?_

_Now review please!!_


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